Florida Gov. Rick Scott's State of the State address Tuesday showcased the state's economic gains under his watch, but it also served as a platform to diss political rivals as he readies for a tough battle to win a second term in November.

During his speech, Scott referenced President Barack Obama and former Gov. Charlie Crist. The governor came to political prominence in 2009 by opposing Obama’s federal health-care law. Despite spending most of his political career as a Republican, Crist is the favorite for the Democratic nomination to challenge Scott in November.

Scott started the speech by highlighting his record, then leading into an attack on Crist.

“A lot has happened since I spoke to you last year,” Scott said. “I could talk about how our unemployment rate is now down to 6.3 percent. How our crime rate is at a 42-year low. How we have invested record funding in protecting our environment while our tourism industry is breaking records, or how we have added more than 460,000 new private-sector jobs since the end of 2010.”

Scott instead opted to talk about his family and his grandson’s dreams. Hoping his grandson’s future dreams would flourish in Florida, Scott pivoted with an attack on Crist.

“That’s not where our state was headed a few years ago,” Scott said before turning his fire on Obama’s federal stimulus, which Crist supported. “Like Washington, Florida’s economy was driven into the ground by spending what some embraced as ‘free money.’ Of course, there is no such thing.”

Scott proceeded to pound Crist’s record in office. “Florida’s big spending racked up big debt,” Scott insisted before focusing on 2010, Crist’s last year in office. “Florida was in a hole. Unemployment was above 11 percent. More than 1 million people were unemployed and our debt ballooned to more than $28 billion.”

“Some say these statistics were all because of a global recession,” Scott added. “They say it doesn’t matter who was running our state – that anyone would have been just a victim of the times. I disagree. As Americans, our freedom and our optimism make us anything but victims – even in the worst circumstances and the toughest times. Our leaders especially – and every person in our state – are not simply bystanders in the arena of life where the hard battles are fought and history is made.”

The governor attempted to contrast his time in Tallahassee with former Gov. Crist’s. “We could have kept embracing spending and debt – but we didn’t,” Scott said. “We could have kept growing government and expecting our challenges to solve themselves – but we didn’t. Together, we made government more efficient. Together, we have cut almost 3,000 regulations on small businesses. Together, we have now paid down $3.6 billion in state debt. And paid back another $3.5 billion borrowed from the federal government for unemployment assistance.

“Working together, Florida rejected the tax-borrow-and-spend strategy that was hurting our future,” Scott insisted. “It wasn’t easy getting Florida’s fiscal house in order. And it wasn’t any fun, either. In my three years as governor, I have yet to have anyone come into my office and lobby me to spend less taxpayer money. The simple truth is that our state, just like our small businesses and our families, has to live within its means. We can’t spend more than we take in.”

Scott continued jabbing at Crist’s record. The governor insisted he had “inherited a terrible mess: growing unemployment, dangerous levels of debt, growing deficits and a crippled housing market.”

The governor also contrasted Crist’s policies, which he defined as the “usual way out by raising taxes and running up more debt" to his own record. Scott said he had done the “politically hard thing and trim(med) our budget.”

Attacking the “previous administration, which lost almost 1 million jobs,” Scott insisted his record was much better with Florida “now tied for having the largest drop in unemployment out of all 50 states, Florida is one of only a few states that has gone from above the national average in unemployment to below the national average in unemployment.”

He pushed his proposal to cut $400 million in vehicle registration fees approved by Crist and slashing $100 million in commercial rent taxes.

“We have added almost a half a million jobs,” Scott said. “Together, we have cut taxes 24 times already and my hope is that we are about to cut them again by another $500 million this year.”

Scott pointed to his record in education, “proposing to invest record amounts in our K-12 education system” and highlighting his budget proposals.

“This budget will invest a total of $18.8 billion in education – the highest in Florida history,” Scott said. “This record investment builds on our previous budgets, which invested an additional $1 billion in K-12 education for two years in a row. Of course, ensuring students get a quality education means they must have excellent teachers. That’s why, last year, with your support, we gave every full-time public classroom teacher the opportunity to get a pay raise.

“This investment is sure to pay off,” Scott continued. “Florida teachers are ranked among the most effective in the nation. Because of their hard work, our fourth- and eighth-graders have had the largest achievement gains in the nation. Our fourth-graders are now second in the world for reading. And, Florida high schools are fourth out of the top 10 in the country."

Scott also drew attention to his call for “$80 million in our budget this year for those colleges and universities who graduate students best positioned to get a job” and trying to keep tuition from increasing.

“We are changing how we fund higher education, but if we want to make higher education more accessible to low and middle-income families we have to make it more affordable,” he said. “Last year, I vetoed a tuition increase that would have taken a total of more than $42 million from Florida families. And, this year, with your help, we want to get rid of the 15 percent annual increase and inflationary increase on tuition.

“My commitment to every family dreaming to send their children to college is simple: we will hold the line on tuition,” Scott pledged. “Parents saving for their children to get a four-year degree from a public university today need to save over $53,000 ... we shouldn’t celebrate how accessible higher education is until we can make it more affordable. That’s why I am proud that all of Florida’s four-year state colleges now offer bachelor’s degrees for only $10,000. These degrees aren’t just affordable – they are also geared toward high-demand job fields so students are prepared to start a great career when they graduate.”

Scott continued to paint a stark picture of life in Florida when Crist left office. “Four years ago, people were down on Florida,” Scott insisted. “High unemployment, shrinking home values, Florida was in retreat. For the first time in decades, more people left the state of Florida than moved in from other states.”

The governor insisted things had turned around under his watch. “Now, we are on the rise,” Scott said. “Jobs are coming back, career opportunities are growing, home values are improving and there is simply no reason that Florida cannot be the No. 1 state in the country to find a good job, raise a family and achieve the American dream. Working together, we are making Florida No. 1.”

Scott shared the stories of many Floridians who have worked and found success, including his own, and reflected on the passing of his mother last year.

He also said his story shows the importance of having a job. “I hope it explains just a little about my passion for creating jobs and opportunities for all Florida citizens. I know that reporters get tired of me constantly talking about creating jobs when they are asking other questions. I know that some people think I’m too singularly focused on growing Florida’s economy. Well, all I can tell you is that we are all products of our own experiences in life. I’ve seen what happens to families who are struggling to find work. I’ve had Christmas without any presents. And, I don’t want any of our people to ever feel stuck in those situations.

“I didn’t start caring about jobs when I ran a company,” Scott added. “I started caring about jobs when I saw my father lose his. That’s why I want Florida to be the land of opportunity. I want every entrepreneur to move here. I want every business that is already here to expand. And, I want every Floridian who has an idea to open a small business to be able to do it. Every time a new job is created, some family, like mine growing up, is better off.”

Scott also laid out his conservative beliefs when it comes to the role of the government in the economy.

“Government cannot create jobs,” the governor said before taking a swipe at Obama. “Washington has proven that. But, government can create an environment where Floridians can create jobs. We have proven that.

“I want us to keep cutting taxes and keep cutting regulations so every small business can succeed. Let’s keep working to reject the tax-borrow-and-spend approach of D.C. Let’s keep working until everyone in our state,regardless of what country, family or zip code they were born into – has their shot at the American dream. Let’s keep working until we are not only the destination for the world’s tourists, but for the world’s businesses.

"Let’s keep working until all of our children and grandchildren can have any career they want right here in Florida.”

House Democratic Leader Perry Thurston, D-Fort Lauderdale, responded for his party. Thurston is running for the Democratic nomination to challenge Attorney General Pam Bondi in November.

“Today, the 116th regular session of the Florida Legislature gets under way with Gov. Rick Scott and Republicans still in charge of your state government,” Thurston said. “Democrats are committed to working with the governor and Republican leaders where we can. But we believe that after 16 years of Republican control, their strategies are failing to meet the needs of working families and are favoring wealthy special interests.”

Focusing more on the Democrats’ agenda, Thurston backed Obama’s call to raise the federal minimum wage and said he would fight to raise it at the state level.

“One of the most important issues of this session will be the plight of our state’s workforce,” Thurston said. “Right now, there’s a bill in the United States Congress to raise the nation’s minimum wage. But when it comes to our workers, we need not wait for Congress to act. In Florida, we have a state minimum wage of $7.93 an hour that should be increased because raising Floridians’ wages is good for business and good for our economy. Doing so reduces turnover. It boosts productivity, and it gives folks more money to spend at local businesses. That’s why I support Democratic-sponsored legislation this year that would raise Florida’s minimum wage to a livable earning of at least $10.10 an hour.”

Thurston used Scott’s call for lower fees to point out the Democratic record on the issue.

“House Democratic Caucus members have, for several years now, unanimously opposed fee hikes on drivers’ licenses and automobile registrations,” Thurston said. “But unlike Gov. Scott, we didn’t think the idea of repealing those consumer costs should have to wait until an election year like this one.”

Insisting the “best way to create jobs and secure a strong economy is to invest in our future,” Thurston attacked Scott over education.

“We need to educate our children and increase the success of our public schools,” Thurston said. “We also need to make sure that Floridians have health insurance. And we must allow for the health coverage expansion using available federal dollars. We’ve got to do better. And we certainly have to do better than what occurred when Gov. Scott took office.

“We need new leadership in the Legislature, the governor’s mansion, and in the attorney general’s office and other Cabinet posts,” Thurston added, looking to November. “Gov. Scott and the Republican-run Legislature slashed more than $1 billion in funding from Florida’s schools. They’ve also made cuts to Bright Futures Scholarships that students need to attain a college education.

“Frankly, on no issue are Democrats and Republicans in the Legislature more divergent than in our approach to education,’ he continued. “Democrats believe that a solid public education is the best economic investment we can make. Unfortunately, Rick Scott’s election-year promises aren’t in keeping with the way he’s governed. He’s attacked teachers and raided public school funding.”

Thurston also waded into the Common Core debate. “While Democrats have no major objection to the standards themselves, we are concerned about their implementation,” he said. “Our students are our most valuable asset. We can’t afford to get this wrong. We must create some time before these new standards are used in the testing of and evaluation of our teachers and schools.”

On Medicaid expansion, Thurston held the party line: “Millions of dollars are being lost and Gov. Scott’s administration is no closer to a solution for the thousands of Floridians waiting on their chance at quality, affordable health care coverage. I hold responsible -- and I think you should, too -- the Republican legislative leaders and Gov. Rick Scott for this moral and mathematical failure of our state. ..."

Comments (8)

Casper the friendly ghost

5:29PM MAR 5TH 2014

Just like RPOF Chairman Jim Greer did in Orlando in 2010 there will be no RPOF sanctioned GOP primary. Greer would not even allow the Sec of Ag Charlie Bronson to primary against Bill McCollum. Everyone thought McCollum was the Bush machine chosen one. Then along comes Richard (Rick) Lynn Scott the donut maker with $70 million of his own money to buy the governor's mansion. That should read $70 million of our taxpayers Medicare funds fraudulently obtained by Rick Scott. Are you aware Richard Lynn Scott was really an oil and hospital attorney with Johnson & Swanson Dallas Texas whose clients included Tom Hicks with whom Scott partnered in The Texas Rangers along with George W. Bush.
Richard Rainwater with whom Scott partnered to found Columbia/ HCA the second largest Medicare fraud in US history. 2nd only to the billions in Medicare fraud at IMC by Jeb Bush friend and partner Miguel Recarey financed by Tampa mob boss Santo Trafficante, Jr.

Charlie Crist might be a graduate of Mel Sember's SEED program and Straight, Inc. But, at least we know what he is and where he come from. Rick Scott lied from the beginning by lauding his donuts shops and dragging him moma around by the hand. When anything starts with a lie it can only get bigger. No matter what else Charlie Crist had the guts to stand up to Jeb Bush and the Bush machine. It's a shame that Jim Greer didn't get a trial and force all the RPOF criminals on his witness list to testify. If he had a trainload of these Bush criminals that has been working hard to destroy our state since before 1998 would have headed off to the federal prison. Oh, but the elite don't go to prison they privatize, they own the prisons and lease them out to the taxpayers with their for profit CCA or Geo schemes. But, don't forget Charlie might not have a chance, Jeb Bush and Tom Feeney have got those little vote fixing chips Feeney had Clint Curtis the NASA computer guy invent and they can fix the election for another Rick Scott term just like they done for Obama in Florida, Ohio and who knows where else.

I'll take Charlie Crist any time. Jeb Bush and Obama are too busy pushing Common Core and Race to the Top Grants for rewards! With Gary Grappo and Jim Horne Soon Jib will be in the Obama is such a bad president the people of the US need to recruit Jeb another Bush to fix all these ills Obama has brought us.310 million people in the USA and like the Florida governor BS we only 2-3 people we are allowed to chose from. Kid of makes Adolph Hitler look like a choir boy don't it!

The primary function of ANY politician is to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States. In the case of governors, their state constitution comes next. Jobs and the economy are merely administrative details.
A bill to bring Florida's family law statutes more in line with state and federal constitutions passed by overwhelming majority in both houses of the legislature and landed on Rick Scott's desk. In a treacherous move to quash the legislation, he sat on it until the last minutes before it would automatically become law and then, vetoed it. This was a solid punch in the gut to every Floridian who has been denied their constitutional, civil, and human rights by "Florida family courts" and the divorce mafia.
I don't care what Rick Scott did for jobs or the economy. If he won't protect and defend my rights, he doesn't deserve my vote. Rick Scott defrauded Tea Party supporters & voters who want smaller government AND respect for the constitution.
Rick Scott is a right wing ideologue who governs by his personal biases . By the way, I'm a registered Republican and have been for a long time and I'm not voting for Rick Scott again under any circumstance. The wound in my back is still healing.

Yeah, yeah, where have we heard all this before --> "Like Washington, Florida’s economy was driven into the ground by spending . . . . Florida’s big spending racked up big debt" . . . .

Oh, that's right . . . last year's speech . . . . with both claims being rated as a big fat FALSE by PolitiFact:

"Economists told us last year that runaway government spending was not the problem. The real estate crash, the Great Recession and withering construction and tourism industries were to blame. We rated Scott’s claim False." . . . .

Colin Hackley captured the typically smug look on Scott's face (above) as he beamed up and out to "his" followers in the Legislature. I believe the only way to improve our economy, education, and services would be to begin replacing those Legislators who have begun to make Tallahassee their home, rather than back within their districts. If we're to replace Scott,(and I truly hope we will) his replacement will need the legislative support Scott receives. It only makes sense. Governor R has an R majority legislature, while Governor D should have a D majority legislature. As I look back, very fondly, upon the years we had "walkin' Lawton" and Bob Graham as Governors, I remember times were so much better, the economy actually growing for everyone, not just the rich. I know looking back will not help us move forward, but, as a registered Republican, I am completely dismayed by the behaviors of our national and state elected representatives and their votes of which I do not agree with the majority of their votes. I have considered returning to the Democratic party, and I may, but not before I vote supporting every damned Democrat on the ballot!

I echo those same sentiments, the RPOF has had unobstructed reign over Florida government for 16 years and all Scott and his henchmen do is borrow a page out of KKKArl Rove's playbook, pass the blame and create a scary straw man to knock down.

I continue to be amused that Republicans blame Crist for what Republicans did. The RPOF has run Florida for 16 years. Good, bad or indifferent they own it. Anything else is a lie. I am also amused how Gov Scott has changed his historic statement. He did indeed say that if Florida followed his principles he would create 700K extra jobs, above and beyond normal growth. Not even close. Now he just says 700K jobs. Hate Crist all ya want, just keep it truthful. Scott and the RPOF fail on that. Shameful!